Is Tom Cruise the Last Real Movie Star?

Tom Cruise is an actor and producer who has appeared in some of the most successful film franchises of all time. Cruise rose to fame in the 1980s thanks to high-profile roles in Risky Business, Legend, and Top Gun. Initially, Cruise was best known as a leading man and romantic interest, but as the years went on, he proved that he could play tough, dramatic roles as well. In recent years, even as other big-name actors have slowed down in their ventures, Cruise is going strong. In fact, he could be considered the last true Hollywood movie star. 

Tom Cruise is still a major box-office draw

At 59, Tom Cruise could easily rest on his laurels. The actor, who has been married three times, has a net worth of $600 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and certainly doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. Still, Cruise has shown that he has a drive and determination to make winning productions and still has a great passion for the film business.

Since the 1980s, Cruise has been a big star. His longevity is unique even in the world of Hollywood, a town that loves the idea of an enduring film legend. Not only can Cruise’s name still bring in crowds of movie lovers, but his clout in the industry is significant – it seems everyone wants to work with Cruise. According to The Numbers, Cruise is one of the world’s leading actors based on box-office numbers alone, with his films bringing in around $8,491,520,442 worldwide, based on box-office aggregate.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a massive hit for Cruise

If Tom Cruise still has critics, he silenced the naysayers with the release of Top Gun: Maverick in May 2022. The film broke box-office records, becoming one of Paramount’s highest-grossing films, according to IMDb, and the highest of Cruise’s career to date. Top Gun: Maverick received praise from critics, and fans everywhere stood up to cheer for Cruise for helping usher in a summer blockbuster, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in theaters for years.

Cruise has proven that he is still a force to be reckoned with at the box office, and the star is carrying on his success into 2023, with the planned release of the seventh installment in his acclaimed Mission: Impossible series. The final installment will be divided into two parts, with the first released in July 2023 and the second in June 2024, according to IMDb. There’s no doubt that Cruise will bring all his star power to the table, helping to craft incredible stunts and action-packed sequences. 

Tom Cruise is one of the last remaining true movie stars

After more than three decades as a leading star, Tom Cruise has shown that he still can bring in huge numbers and earn new fans. This is an impressive feat of longevity that few other actors can match. In fact, most stars who were headlining films in the 1980s and 1990s still working have chosen to focus on character-based dramas or B-list movies. Even Cruise contemporaries like Brad Pitt don’t have his seemingly unstoppable clout at the box office.

While several other stars in Hollywood have managed to sustain a strong career trajectory over the decades, including Harrison Ford and Leonardo DiCaprio, they are in different age brackets than Cruise – with Ford in his late seventies and DiCaprio in his forties. As a longtime leading man in his fifties, Cruise truly stands apart.